Ludwig, Duke of Württemberg (1554-1593)
Ludwig (Louis), Duke of Württemberg (Herzog von Württemberg) from 1568 to 1593, was born 1 January 1554 in Stuttgart. He was the son of Christoph, Duke of Württemberg (1515-1568) and Anna Maria of Brandenburg-Ansbach. He succeeded his father in 1568.
Until 1558, Louis was under the guardianship of the privy councilor Melchior Jäger and later completely dominated by him. Louis was very good-natured, strictly Lutheran, musical, and somewhat given to drink. To check the spread of Anabaptism the official Landhofmeister, chancellor, and councilors, in 1584 insisted on the death penalty and torture in certain cases for Anabaptist leaders and for exiles who kept returning. But Louis, under the influence of the court chaplain Lukas Osiander, who pointed out that the Catholics would then also apply torture and the death penalty to Protestants, decided that for a while he would wait and use the more lenient method.
Louis died 28 August 1593 in Stuttgart and was succeeded by his father's cousin, Friedrich, Duke of Württemberg.
Bibliography
Hege, Christian and Christian Neff. Mennonitisches Lexikon,4 vols. Frankfurt & Weierhof: Hege; Karlsruhe: Schneider, 1913-1967: v. II, 699.
Stälin, "Das Rechtsverhältnis der religiösen Gemeinschaften und der fremden Religionsverwandten in Württemberg nach seiner geschichtlichen Entwicklung," Württembergische Jahrbücher für Statistik und Landekunde (1868): 170.
| Author(s) | Gustav, Sr Bossert |
|---|---|
| Richard D. Thiessen | |
| Date Published | May 2008 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Bossert, Gustav, Sr and Richard D. Thiessen. "Ludwig, Duke of Württemberg (1554-1593)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. May 2008. Web. 18 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Ludwig,_Duke_of_W%C3%BCrttemberg_(1554-1593)&oldid=146601.
APA style
Bossert, Gustav, Sr and Richard D. Thiessen. (May 2008). Ludwig, Duke of Württemberg (1554-1593). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 18 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Ludwig,_Duke_of_W%C3%BCrttemberg_(1554-1593)&oldid=146601.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, pp. 402-403. All rights reserved.
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